Any way to get rid of the damp, musty smell in the basement bedroom without pulling out the carpet ?

Question

We have a feeling the carpet will need to go but perhaps one of you have a sure fire way of cleaning it. I have tried chlorine, spraying the wall and using it as shampoo, lysol drenching, & dehumidifiers yet we still seem to get the sniffles from the room. If ripping out the carpet is the ONLY answer, will the mold ever go away since it is a cement floor basement ?

Answer 1

I agree with the posters who said you have to do the big cleaning job. You really need to rip out anything that has mold or mildew in it, kill the mold and mildew (living organisms), take care of the problem that is causing the moisture, and dry everything completely. The musty smell is a sign of dampness, even if you don't see and moisture. There is no easy fix to the problem.

Here are a number of sites that should help you. Best of luck with getting this problem sorted out.

Answer 2

Getting rid of the source is the key. Our basement got flooded from hurricane IVAN. Bottom line is -- whatever got wet had to go. That included the drywall, insulation, carpet, boxes, etc. You get the picture.

After removing all contaminated material, I ran the dehumidifier at it's highest setting. Then got a garden sprayer and sprayed pure bleach on everything. Ventilation is highly recommended. The bleach killed all mold and mildew smells in the concrete and wall cavities. Then I sealed the concrete after everything was dry.

It's a lot of work, but no one gets sick now. Good luck.

Answer 3

Sounds like the concrete floor is damp or was wet at one time and needs to dry out. Concrete will absorb like a sponge and does take time to dry. I would remove the carpet and install a dehumidifier and some fans to dry the floor. Clean and disinfect the floor also. we generally allow 10 days for a concrete floor to dry before we install flooring. I think you will find that musty smell is gone once the floor has aired and dried. Check the backing on the carpet for mildew, it may not be worth saving or trying to clean.

Answer 4

DO NOT ENTER THE ROOM WITHOUT A FACE MASK. I had a friend killed by exposure to mold; you breath spores into your lungs and can die in less that 24 hours. Get that carpet out of there wearing face protection. Put straight chlorox(bleach) on the cement and ventilate the room with fans until dry. Use a propane space heater if necessary to warm it up and totally dry it. Check into putting some wall vents in to reduce moisture and prevent mold in the future. Good luck.

Answer 5

i reccomend getting rid of the carpet. Mold is causing the smell and that can be dangerous for your health so you should get that checked out by a professional. If you can't afford that, buy a dehumidifier to get rid of the dampness

Answer 6

I would definitely get rid of the carpet and then go from there. I don't know much about getting the mold going away, but advise you to look up info. about mold on the Internet.

Answer 7

Try spreading baking soda on carpet let sit for awhile then vaccuum. It should pull the musty smell out. Hope it works :)

Answer 8

youmay have to rip out the carpet.I know your tired of bleach but coat the floor with it and scrub.That mold is all up in your carpets kool-aid

Answer 9

Lysol concentrate. It is in a little brown bottle. Mix with water. It is what Fema reccomends.

Answer 10

there are some things that you can by that like aborbe orders and damp ness,, they are like a charcole base,, I know lowes and home depot have them,, I can't rememeber the name but it comes in like a bucket and you just open it in the room and leave it for a few days and it collects the dampness and you empty it?? dont' know if it works or not,,,